Thousands of people in Leicester will receive unique Diwali postcards through their letterboxes this week, sharing stories of people’s experience of the Festival of Lights – a major part of the city’s cultural calendar for more than 40 years.
Over 10,000 homes will receive the postcards tomorrow (16 October), which form part of We Bring Light: Leicester’s Diwali Legacy, an anniversary research project set up to celebrate an event that is central to the identities of the South Asian community.
Supported by fintech company Marshmallow, the two-year project has been driven by the city arts organisation Inspirate, whose executive director, Jiten Anand, grew up in the Belgrave community – the traditional heart of Leicester’s Diwali celebrations.
It comes at a time when support for the festival in Leicester has been reduced due to funding constraints at Leicester City Council, which last year withdrew its financial backing for the long established Diwali lights switch-on event.
Jiten said: “Generations have celebrated the Diwali lights switch-on and we are here to honour their story. We want to bring hope and light to the people of Leicester and the rest of the world.
“The legacy of what Diwali festival has brought to the local, national and global South Asian diaspora will always continue. Hopefully, our project can add to that story – we’re an arts organisation telling the story of the city’s heritage and want to do what we can to keep Diwali alive.”
Specially designed by artist Sharonjit Sutton, the Diwali postcards are one of five elements of the We Bring Light: Leicester’s Diwali Legacy project. They are also the culmination of two years of work by lead researcher Malini Chakrabarty, who spoke to generations of people in the city’s South Asian communities about their lives and experiences.
Alongside the postcards reaching thousands of homes, the project also includes a short documentary film created by film maker Kieran Vyas, a website designed by Sharonjit Sutton, a display of glowing Diwali lanterns designed and crafted by children in local schools, and a mural on Belgrave Road created by acclaimed artist Shiraaz Ali.
Meghan Elliott of Marshmallow said: “We know how important community and connections are, which is why we’re proud to sponsor We Bring Light.
“This project shines a spotlight on resilience, diversity and human connection and supporting it is a natural extension of our mission to empower those who step outside the norm to create brighter futures for themselves and their families.”
